1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a distributed object management system for managing objects in a distributed object environment, and more specifically to dynamically selecting and locating server objects, in a distributed object environment, based on version information of the server objects.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a distributed object environment for executing a backbone job, demand is now high for realizing operation around the clock for 365 days a year. In such a distributed object environment operated continuously, it is indispensable to carry out the change of a server object, if required, in a dynamic way.
For the version-up of a server object, for example, JP-A-11-154138 describes a method in which a server has a backup file of a load module so that the internal information of the load module and the internal information of the backup file of the server to be started are checked at the time of start up.
In the conventional distributed object environment described above, even in the case where a new server object is started to provide the same service as other server objects, it is difficult to carry out the change while a plurality of the server objects are in operation as long as the object name or the interface of the new server object remains unchanged in view of the fact that a plurality of server objects providing the same service are considered to be equivalent to each other.
Another problem of the method described in JP-A-11-154138 is that in the case where a version-up is required, the start-up is notified to clients as a failure, and therefore the service is interrupted. Further, in the distributed object environment, a problem is posed that version consistency fails to be considered between a plurality of server objects which may be operated in collaboration with each other.
In the case where the service of a server object is provided continuously or a plurality of server objects are operated in collaboration with each other in a distributed object environment, therefore, it is necessary that a server object can be changed while retaining consistency between the server objects in operation.